[COR - CH1] Return to Castle Brickleton

[evancelt]

The wind from the Taemric Marshes carried the scent of peat smoke and damp earth as Duncan Brickleton rode toward his father’s hall. Before him, rising from the mist and half-reflected in the black waters of the bog, stood Castle Brickleton—a sturdy, rectangular keep of grey stone with a single tower jutting from its northeastern corner. The red flag of the clan fluttered from that tower, marked by a white diagonal slash that seemed to cut through the very fog itself. To Duncan, that flag was as much a warning as it was a welcome. He had been gone too long, and the marsh remembers those who linger away from its grasp.

As his horse’s hooves squelched through the muddy causeway, Duncan looked up to the rooftop deck where an archer kept watch, bow drawn in half-readiness. The guard recognized him after a moment’s squint, lowering the weapon and striking his chest in salute. A horn call echoed from within the walls, deep and resonant, signaling his return. The great tree by the outer yard shuddered in the breeze, sending a slow cascade of autumn leaves drifting across the stones—burnt orange and deep brown against the cold grey of the keep. It was a fitting homecoming: beauty and melancholy intertwined.

When Duncan dismounted in the courtyard, the gates creaked shut behind him. He was met by familiar faces, some smiling, others wary, for word of his time in the south had preceded him. His father’s steward, old Fergus, greeted him first—bent but still proud in his clan tartan. “The chief awaits ye in the hall,” Fergus said, voice gravelled by age. Duncan handed over the reins, feeling the weight of the castle’s silence pressing around him. Each stone seemed to whisper of expectations unmet, of a legacy waiting to be claimed. The hall beyond the great oaken doors flickered with firelight, and from within came the faint rhythm of a hammer striking iron—his father’s forge still active even as night fell.

Inside, the air was thick with smoke and warmth. Chief Ewan Brickleton stood by the hearth, his great shoulders stooped but unbroken. The old man turned as Duncan entered, his eyes sharp beneath grey brows. For a heartbeat, neither spoke. Then the chief’s voice rumbled low. “So, the Keeper of the Marsh Gate returns,” he said. “Have ye found wisdom among the Corrish, or just their manners?” Duncan smiled faintly, bowing his head before the man who had shaped his every measure of pride. “Both, father,” he answered. “But neither worth more than what’s here.” The chief grunted—a sound somewhere between approval and warning—and motioned for him to sit.

That night, the wind clawed at the shutters, and the peat fire glowed red as the clan’s flag above the tower. Father and son spoke long of loyalty, of border raids, and of the uncertain future for all the Taemric clans. Duncan listened, but his gaze often strayed to the window, where the last leaves clung stubbornly to the great tree outside. He knew the world beyond the marshes was changing, and soon, the old ways would be tested. Yet here, in the heart of his bloodline’s home, beneath the red and white banner of Clan Brickleton, he felt the stir of something fierce and resolute. The marsh might be quiet, but Duncan sensed it waiting—ready to rise again with him.

Duncan’s sister, Moira Brickleton, met him first in the courtyard before he even reached the hall. Her hair, a fiery red like the autumn leaves falling from the great tree, caught the light of the torches as she rushed forward to embrace him. Though the marsh wind bit cold, Moira’s warmth never dimmed; she had always been his ally amid the clan’s stern faces and heavier expectations. She spoke quickly and with laughter, teasing him about the southern manners he had supposedly learned, yet there was a tremor beneath her mirth—a recognition of the burden her brother carried. In her eyes, Duncan saw the reflection of home, of what he was fighting to protect. Moira had her father’s stubbornness but her mother’s gentleness, and though she had no claim to leadership, she wielded quiet influence among the clan’s folk, binding them together when pride or grief might pull them apart.

His brother, Callum, was another story. Broad-shouldered and quick to temper, Callum had remained behind during Duncan’s years away, serving as the chief’s right hand. Though loyal in deed, envy had begun to fester in him like damp in stone. He had watched the clan whisper of Duncan—the favored son, the Keeper of the Marsh Gate—and though Callum bore the same blood, he felt himself ever cast in shadow. When Duncan returned, Callum greeted him with a warrior’s clasp but not a brother’s smile. His words were clipped, his gaze wary. Beneath the surface, an old rivalry stirred, one their father had done little to mend.

Chief Ewan Brickleton saw both sons through the lens of duty rather than affection. To him, the clan’s survival mattered more than any single heart within it. Duncan was the heir—clever, adaptable, a man who could speak both to the marshfolk and to Corrington’s lords. Callum was his hammer—loyal, fierce, but too bound to old grudges. Moira, though he seldom said it aloud, was the soul of the family, the thread that kept them from tearing apart. Yet even she could not always soften her father’s stern will. Around the hearth, when the chief spoke of legacy and loyalty, each sibling felt the weight of his gaze differently: Duncan as a test, Callum as a reprimand, and Moira as the quiet hope that one day, their father’s pride might finally give way to peace.

 

It's said the soil surrounding Castle Brickleton promoted strong facial hair growth.

BTS:

Spoiler

I had a lot of fun building this castle! Even though you can't see it all that well in the final picture, the roof in particular was a fun challenge to fit together, with lots of different slope pieces working together to make some funky angles

 

 

[Dutch Thriceman]

Great Castle, the size of it just feels right for me (as if it's one of the Castles I've visited throughout my life) and I love the way you made use of those classic panel pieces (that I kind of want to get now haha)... I didn't really pay attention to it on Flickr but the landscaping is also really well done.

Btw are those custom window panes or stickers or actually lego? I don't recognize them.

[evancelt]

4 minutes ago, Dutch Thriceman said:

Great Castle, the size of it just feels right for me (as if it's one of the Castles I've visited throughout my life) and I love the way you made use of those classic panel pieces (that I kind of want to get now haha)... I didn't really pay attention to it on Flickr but the landscaping is also really well done.

Thanks!

4 minutes ago, Dutch Thriceman said:

Btw are those custom window panes or stickers or actually lego? I don't recognize them.

I UV-printed some white lines onto LEGO 4x3 trans-clear panels to make the smaller panes

[Dutch Thriceman]

Just now, evancelt said:

I UV-printed some white lines onto LEGO 4x3 trans-clear panels to make the smaller panes

Ah that's really slick, nice.

[Khorne]

Lovely entry, Evan! And a very nice to introduce your main character and his family.

The castle itself is definitely a behemoth and I like how you shared an extra picture of the roof, because is deserves the extra spotlight. Lovely angles on the roofwork with the integration of the tower and the door to the roof.

The architecture itself is beautiful as well, with the simple flourishes above the windows. I like how the castle is non-symmetrical with one tower in the corner. Perhaps a bit of dark grey touches in between the light grey brickwork might've broken up the walls a bit? To sort of match the mottling on the prefab pieces the tower is built with.

But like I said: lovely entry, very beautiful! The brickbuilt flag is a nice touch as well.